Cold Fire Phantoms
by Semdai Bloodquill
Summary: Had it all been for nothing? The true enemy was exposed, but was that shred of knowledge worth Raziel’s sacrifice? The destiny I had tried so hard to change had come regardless..."
1. Balance

**New Comment **: Some of you may be confused as to why I'm re-writing chapter one instead of writing a new chapter. (coughs and plays with shirt collar nervously) Well, it's because when I came back to write more after a bad case of writers block (man, you'd think with all these vaccines they shoot us with they'd have one to cure writers block. BUT NO!) I noticed how short and choppy and unbelievable the first chapter was. I was very ashamed. (hangs head in shame) Something had to be done. So I sliced and diced and fryed and deep-fryed and made chapter one much better than it was before. Enjoy!

Here and now, before anything else can be said, I declare that this story is for Kohaku.

Disclaimer : It would lift my sad excuse for a soul if I owned the LOK characters and places. Unfortunately I don't even own the computer I'm using to type this so I can only wish that I owned my favorite LOK people, like Raziel, Kain, Vorador... Janos... I'd want Moebius too...so I can decapitate that little bastard! (cough hack) Yeah. Okay... time for me to shut up now.

**Cold Fire Phantoms**

By Semdai Bloodquill

**Chapter One : Balance**

_With all the illusions rendered helpless before my opened eyes, I stood, looking down at the shattered Pillars and taking in the magnitude of the revelations Raziel had shown me. Guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders from the horrors I had forced upon him. Was there any real reason for all the madness that had transpired here in this ruined citadel in the past few hands of time. Yes, there had been cause... but where was the reason? Had it all been for nothing? The true enemy was exposed, but was that shred of knowledge worth Raziel's sacrifice? The destiny I had tried so hard to change had come regardless._

_And what was my fate now? It had been Raziel's destiny to slay me before he entered the sword, but that was left undone. Raziel's soul was captive in the Reaver blade and I was still alive to wield it. For a moment I felt a profound sense of sadness and loss for my fallen lieutenant, then a strong desire to hunt down and destroy the monster that was truly responsible for all the wrongs that had been done._

_Those sentiments died quickly, replaced by thoughts of what to do next. Somewhere out there Janos was suffering as the Hylden Lord who had invaded his body and mind hatched new plots. Somewhere, the Elder God was burrowing into the world and sealing himself away. Somewhere, my younger self was dipping into the Underworld and stealing the souls of the fallen Sarafan brothers, resurrecting them as vampires. But what was I to do now? Seek out the Elder and destroy him once and for all? Track down and slay the Hylden Lord and end Janos' suffering? Would any good come of such actions?_

_I felt lost and alone for the first time in my long life...and it weighed heavily on my shoulders._

" Now what," Kain murmured softly to himself. The old vampire sighed heavily and tightened his grip on the hilt of the Reaver. The sword seemed to hum with emotions of its own, as if Raziel was reaching out to him from his prison. Kain inhaled deeply, preparing for another heavy sigh, and an unfamiliar scent caught in his nostrils. The Citadel itself smelled of mold, dust, and decay, but this new scent was neither. It was the smell of living blood.

Taking the Reaver in both hands, Kain whirled around to face the intruder. He saw no one.

" Show yourself," Kain challenged boldly. Silence followed the echo of his voice. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Kain spotted his lurking observer.

Gaunt as a corpse, hair that was long and white as snow, and with eyes like dull rubies, the onlooker clung to the crumbling ceiling. Kain pretended not to notice the creature as he shifted position. Pretending to be nervous, he moved slowly to the side, putting himself in line for a shot.

Lightning fast, Kain sheathed the Reaver and concentrated on his telekinetic powers. Seizing the observer with his mental grip, Kain ripped the skeletal being from the ceiling and hurled it to the floor. The creature cried out as it hit the stone floor and rolled several feet before Kain snared it again. Bringing the little spy to bear, Kain retained his hold on the creature as it squirmed in the air before him.

" Who are you," Kain demanded savagely. When the creature did not answer, Kain tightened his mental hold. " I won't ask again," he warned.

" I mean you no harm, Lord Kain," the spy cried out in pain. " I was sent only to watch you."

" You still haven't answered my question, spy," Kain growled, throwing the observer to the ground roughly.

" My name is Athillo."

" Good. Now who sent you?" Kain loosened his grip on Athillo.

" I came at the behest of my mistress," Athillo admitted, slowly climbing to his feet. Kain tried to hide his shock. Vorador's execution should have made him the last of Nosgoth's vampires. Yet standing before him was another living (more or less), breathing vampire. Athillo stood eye to eye with Kain, his dark crimson eyes calm and serene.

" You're a vampire," Kain stated as calmly as he could.

" Aye," Athillo said calmly.

" I suppose I'm not the last one left after all," Kain said lightly, turning back to the smoking Pillars.

Athillo offered a shrug of his bony shoulders and tenderly scratched at the back of his skinny neck. Kain found himself incapable of determining how old Athillo was. He looked as if he had only been a teenager when he was turned. In any case, he was a piteous looking wretch, grossly underfed and thin as a stick. Compared to Kain's powerful build Athillo was little more than a very tall child.

" What were you thinking about, Scion?" Athillo asked.

Kain tensed. " What did you call me?"

" Are you not the Scion of Balance, milord?" Somehow Kain felt that Athillo had not been asking. " Is that sword on your back not the Soul Reaver?"

" Perhaps," Kain admitted slowly, turning his head slightly. Athillo had also turned his back to Kain by then.

" You are exactly as she said you would be. Tall, menacing, brooding over a great loss-"

Kain seized Athillo with his telekinetic powers and sent cruel shocks through the weaker vampire. Athillo gasped in pain and dropped to one knee, clutching his chest.

" You know much, runt," Kain growled wickedly. " Too much for me to trust you." He tightened his hold and Athillo fell to the side with a cry. " Cease with your riddles and tell me what you want."

" Restore- Balance-" Athillo choked. Kain hurled Athillo across the room. He hit the wall with a heavy thud and slid weakly to the floor.

" I am so sick of hearing everyone say that. 'Balance must be restored!' 'The corrupted Guardians must die!' 'Nosgoth must be healed!' Why is it my problem now! The Pillars have fallen! The Hylden are free! And Raziel-" Kain's voice froze. He quivered with long suppressed anger.

" I know that you suffer my lord." Athillo's voice was a small thing compared to Kain's great rage. " All of Nosgoth suffers without Balance, but it pales against you. How heavy your shoulders must be with the weight of all Nosgoth on them."

" What would you have me do? Go out and slay the Hylden Lord? Or the Elder God? Or perhaps even myself?"

" We would have you join us, Scion."

" Don't call me that. And what do you mean 'we?' Are there yet more vampires left in Nosgoth?" Now that he had seen Athillo, the idea did not seem so preposterous as before. Still Athillo was an unimpressive creature and Kain had to wonder what pathetic excuses for vampires had survived with him.

" Aye, my Lord. A few."

" What do you think you have to offer me?" Kain asked glumly.

" You seek your path now that your enemies have been revealed," Athillo stated, " your path is hidden from you though, and you carry guilt on your shoulders." Kain narrowed his yellow eyes at Athillo. " There is one who may be able to point you down your path, Lord Kain," the younger vampire continued. " If you wish it, she can help you." Athillo held out his hand, his curving talons extended. Kain stared for a long time at the clawed hand, unsure of what to do.

" I don't trust you," Kain stated.

" I'll not ask you to trust me," Athillo replied.

'"_You'll not use me as the instrument of your messianic delusions."_

" _Very well Raziel. I'll not ask you to trust me. Your truths are for you to discover alone."'_

Kain thought of how vehemently Raziel had distrusted him then...and how it had only fueled their downfall.

Kain reached out and grasped Athillo's hand firmly. Athillo smiled.

To be continued...

AN : The idea for this story erupted in my brain after I beat 'Legacy of Kain : Defiance.' I was not happy with the ending. Not happy at all. Oh wait, that's not true entirely, I was very happy to find all the Bonus Material you get for beating the game. Outtakes so great. But no outtake, no matter how hilarious, could make me feel better about the end of the game. I cried at the end because I was so unhappy. (Yes, I cried real tears) Then when I showed my buddy Kohaku the end she was upset too. She REALLY loves Raziel and needless to say, the end kind of pissed her off. She immediately charged me with the task of 'fixing' the injustices done to her Precious. Well, one idea led to another and here is the result.

So, do you like it? Do you want more? This first chapter was posted to see if anybody is interested in reading this story. If I get at least three reviews asking for more, then more there shall be. If not, I'll discontinue this and devote more time to my other three stories. Please send me feedback.

Semdai Bloodquill


	2. Sorceror

This is still for Kohaku... even if I didn't get the three reviews I wanted she wont let me discontinue.

Disclaimer - It would lift my- hey wait a second! I already said this! Oh well... I guess I'll just say it again. I don't own LOK or its people and places. (Sob)

**Cold Fire Phantoms**

By Semdai Bloodquill

**Chapter Two : Sorcerer**

"Tell me about yourself," Kain prodded as he leapt down the side of a deep ravine. Athillo jumped down beside him and led the way across the chasm floor.

"Where shall I start," the young vampire asked.

"I don't care," Kain replied gruffly.

"I'm the second youngest of my five brothers," Athillo began, "and therefor in next to last in line to inherit anything when my mother dies. Almost everything will go to my oldest brother, Rancor. He's everything that I'm not. Strong and powerful and commanding. Enlil, that's my next brother, is the only one who can stand up to him."

Kain hopped onto a slanting log that Athillo simply walked under. The older vampire lingered in his perch for several seconds before resuming his trek behind Athillo, who was now describing his third brother.

"Terwaz is the really quiet one. Talks as little as inhumanly possible. Keeps to himself, that sort of thing," Athillo had to pause for a moment once they cleared the ravine. The ruby-eyed vampire bit his bottom lip and looked from side to side.

"You're not lost, are you," Kain ventured.

"Not at all," Athillo assured, "I'm just trying to decide which way to go."

"Does it really matter," Kain snorted.

"To you, maybe not," Athillo said calmly, "but to me... both roads will eventually lead to my home, but each road is very different. The left will take us past the Pillars and eventually we will have to cross Moebius's Keep. The other road is shorter but we will have to pass through the swamp. If we go through the swamp we might run into Moebius's hunters, they lurk in there constantly, and my younger brother, Zangai, should be there too somewhere."

"Lets just go through the swamp," Kain interrupted.

"As you wish," Athillo agreed, turning down the right side road. The younger vampire didn't speak again though. Instead he remained silent and deep in thought.

Kain followed behind Athillo equally as silent. Quickly the landscape became dark and muddy, the trees became thick and gnarled. Soon enough, Kain and Athillo found they had to leap from rock to rock to avoid being burned by the murky water of the mire.

"Where's this younger brother of yours," Kain asked, tired of the silence.

"Most likely he's up on the high ground in his retreat," Athillo replied, "doubtless, he already knows we're here." Kain twisted about, trying to catch a glimpse of any life other than himself and his young guide. A large, black crow peered down at them from a low hanging branch. An identical bird landed next to it and cawed darkly.

"Zangai definitely knows we are here," Athillo remarked, staring at the birds, "do you think you could jump to that terrace up there?" The younger vampire pointed to a partially obscured ledge several feet above their heads. Kain thought for a moment, gauging the distance, then he sprang up to the balcony.

Once he steadied himself, Kain immediately knew he was not alone. Glancing around, he saw a small, dirty form sprawled on the ground a few feet away. The creature lay on its side, its eyes closed, its baggy clothes caked with swamp slime and blood. Kain crept closer to the body and shooed away the half a dozen or so birds that pecked at it. It was undeniably a vampire.

Athillo joined Kain on the terrace a moment later. As soon as he saw the body, Athillo gulped softly and knelt beside the still form of his brother. Worry darkened Athillo's ruby eyes when he placed a hand on Zangai's forehead.

"He's alive but he's sunk so deep inside himself that I can't bring him out," he said, "something attacked him and he had to run..." Athillo flinched as he probed through his brother's memories. " He crossed a group of hunters and they almost got him... he made it here and collapsed... he set his birds to watch... and everything goes black." Athillo laid his head against Zangai's and closed his eyes. He murmured softly to his brother while his hands felt for any wounds.

Kain kept his distance.

"Found them," Athillo said triumphantly. He rolled Zangai carefully over and showed Kain the broken arrow shafts in the little vampire's back. None of the wounds seemed serious. Athillo carefully removed each arrow one by one until all seven arrows were out. Zangai whimpered softly when the last one came free.

"Sounds like he's waking up," Kain remarked.

"He's getting there," Athillo agreed, "he's lost a lot of blood though. It's not safe to leave him here alone. We'll have to take him with us." As he said this, Athillo crouched down and pulled Zangai into a sitting position. The wounded vampire slumped forward and Athillo lifted him onto his back. The red-eyed brother stood. "Let's go."

Burdened as they were by Zangai, their progress slowed. Occasionally, Zangai would open his eyes (which were a very pale gray), though never for very long. Athillo would talk quietly to his brother until the younger vampire slipped back to sleep, at which time the trek would be silent until Zangai awoke again.

After an hour of jumping and trudging through the swamp, Kain and Athillo were stopped by sounds of humans. Zangai even lifted his head and peered intently into the mire.

"Hunters," he hissed to Athillo, "just ahead." Athillo gingerly set Zangai down in the shadows then jumped nimbly into a tree to better see the group. The ruby-eyed brother cursed foully under his breath. The group was a large one, as the groups in the swamps usually were, three slender, well-armed men, four tall women in blue armor, a spellcaster in her red clothes, and two big dogs. Tentatively, Athillo reached out with his mind and charmed the larger of the dogs.

'Attack' he ordered the beast 'attack the other dog.' The canine growled at his fellow, who raised is hackles in anger. 'Attack. Attack now.' The bigger animal barked and lunged. The hunters jumped up and scrambled to pull the dogs apart while Athillo slipped back to the ground and crept back to Zangai and Kain.

"Seven fighters, a spellcaster, and two dogs," he hissed to Kain, "I got the dogs to start fighting with each other and that should keep them busy for a few moments." One of the animals yelped loudly. " I'll get into the trees again and charm as many hunters as I can. With some luck, I think I can scatter the group long enough for us to get by," Athillo continued, "Once I've scattered them, I need you to take Zangai and get past as fast as you can. There's some old ruins ahead, wait for me there."

"And if your plan fails," Kain interrupted, "what if you can't take on the group alone and they kill you?" Athillo's expression turned grave.

"Then you'll have to keep heading north, and go into the mountains. My older brothers will find you there," he said curtly.

"I have a better idea," Kain stated.

"I'm listening," Athillo returned.

"We hide your brother for the moment. You get into the trees and do your charming. And I'll go in and kill the hunters at the same time."

"A well conceived plan," Athillo agreed, "as long as you don't attack the humans under my command. That will rebound the attack back at me. I'm vulnerable while charming so please watch your attacks."

"You trust me that easily," Kain questioned.

"I don't have much other choice," Athillo answered, "my little brother's life is on the line here. Good luck." With that, Athillo was back in the trees. Carefully reaching out with his mind, Athillo draped his consciousness over that of the spellcaster. She put up a fair resistance but a few moments of force had her completely subdued. Athillo gulped in air as his head began to hurt. He pushed the ache aside and concentrated again. One human, even a mage, was no match against seven warriors, he needed at least two more. Several minutes of headache later, he had control over the female warrior standing guard. His temples throbbed with strain as he set his will over the remaining dog as well (the other having been killed in the fight).

'Go. Attack. Kill.' he moaned softly in pain as he gave the command. The dog was the first to obey. The big brute turned and sank his teeth into the man beside him. The man howled and struck the dog viscously. Athillo had to let go of the animal's mind fast. The dog yelped pitifully and went down bloody as the man cursed. Athillo then noticed that his other minions were not obeying.

'Go. Kill. Now.' He ordered again. The female on guard turned and attacked her partner. The other guard never saw the attack coming and she screamed in pain as Athillo's minion impaled her on a pike. The rest of the group jumped to action and surrounded the traitor guard. Athillo let her go and concentrated his hardest on the spellcaster, who was fighting him again. [Do my will.] he ordered 'Kill now.' The female guard cried out as her fellows hacked her apart. The spellcaster finally let a fireball fly at her comrades, half of them managed to dodge.

Kain burst from the shadows at that moment and began slashing wildly at the remaining hunters. Athillo's mind reeled and pounded as he fought with the sorceress. Finally he could bear it no longer, Athillo crushed the mage's mind savagely. She crumpled without another sound. Athillo slumped weakly in his perch, weak from exhaustion.

Kain swung the Reaver savagely. The blade hummed and seemed to sing in his hands. How natural it felt in his hands, as if it had been made for him and him alone.

'Behind!' screamed a voice in his head. The Reaver jerked in Kain's hands, it twisted itself around and slashed at the hunter about to impale its wielder. The man fell back screaming, holding the stump where his arm had once been. Kain blinked in shock. The Reaver had moved of its own accord to save him. Was this Raziel's doing?

The lilting sound of music touched Kain's ears. The old vampire was calmed by the notes and almost fell under their spell, until the sword twisted in his hands again, jarring him back to reality. The remaining three hunters stopped and their eyes glazed over, even the injured man stopped screaming and fell into the trance.

Kain watched in confusion as the music compelled the hunters. One of the two unharmed warriors, the female, turned slowly and slashed the wounded man's throat. Bright blood spurted from the wound and the man came out of his stupor. He tried to scream again but the only sound he managed was a pathetic gurgle.

The two guards who remained faced each other without emotion. The enchanting music quickened and grew lower. The female hunter lifted her pike and swung it with all her might. The pike sank into the man's shoulder, severed his collarbone, and lodged itself in his chest. The man let out a choked gargle as he fell to the ground beside his dead fellows.

The music subsided abruptly and the female guard swayed. She shook her head as if to clear it. Then she beheld the carnage before her. In horror, she put her hands over her mouth, frantically trying to understand why her companions were dead and why her pike was lodged in one of the bodies. She saw Kain with the bloody Reaver, and she lost all sense.

Before she could act, however, she was attacked from behind. Kain watched as she stumbled forward, a dark, humanoid shape clinging to her back. She screamed when the thing, which Kain realized was Zangai, sank his fangs into her shoulder. Wildly, she thrashed, trying to shake off the little vampire. Zangai dug his finger talons into her other shoulder. He latched onto her waist with his toe claws and fed from her shoulder wounds.

The guard was growing weaker. With a final burst of strength, she attempted to throw Zangai off of her. She fell back into the deep, murky swamp water, taking Zangai with her.

Kain cursed and rushed to the water's edge, but dared not go in further. The water would burn him like acid if he touched it. The water darkened with blood several feet in front of him, but Kain saw no trace of Zangai.

Athillo knelt beside him. Kain wondered how the red-eyed vampire had managed to approach without his knowing.

"Your brother went into the water," Kain stated, "I could not stop him." Athillo didn't reply, his blood-colored eyes scanned the water, but he did not speak. Kain, assuming that Athillo was mourning, felt a twinge of sympathy for him.

Quite suddenly, Athillo smiled and pointed to the center of the water. Kain looked as well. The surface exploded and Zangai leapt up from the water like a dolphin, not harmed in the least by the water. The gray-eyed vampire climbed from the water and shook himself off. Zangai even stood in the shallow water and twisted water from his cloak and his long, black hair. His eyelids no longer drooped and he seemed revitalized by the blood and water.

"You have a nice swim," Athillo asked comically.

"Very nice if one ignores the muck and doesn't open the eyes," Zangai replied with a grin on his face. Athillo chuckled and clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Let's go before more hunters show up," the red-eyed brother suggested. The three vampires set off once again in silence. Athillo led the way while Zangai hovered around Kain. After a long period of quiet, it was the little, gray-eyed vampire that finally spoke.

"Your sword is very sad, my Lord," Zangai stated softly, "there seems to be something trapped within it." Kain was caught completely off guard by Zangai's words. He stopped and faced the vampire with the ash colored eyes.

"What do you mean," Kain asked darkly. Athillo stood rigid ahead of them, watching the scene. Zangai stared up at Kain, who was a head taller than him, his eyes showing no emotion.

"Something inside the blade cries in anguish, begging to be fed, and crying for release," Zangai explained, "I can't hear it very well, my powers with spirits and other entities are not as strong as my mother's. She could tell you what the sword is saying."

"Raziel..." Kain felt the sword surge with energy, even though he wasn't touching the blade.

To be continued...

AN : I didn't get 3 reviews like I wanted... grrr. But Kohaku won't let me discontinue. She says I can't stop until I fix the wrongs done to Raziel. sigh... Please R&R.

To the reviewers : Thank you for your opinions! (bows graciously) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

To **bryan** - To answer your question about who is vampiricly alive aside from Kain and Janos...let me think... (counts on fingers) Kain and Janos of course... Athillo and his brothers (Rancor, Enlil, Terwaz, and Zangai)... Their mother (who will appear in the next chapter)... a handful of other vampires that stay with the Mother (determined not to spoil it by saying her name)... and that's it. Unless I add some more later...which I might do. yeah... Thanx for the review!

To **Varyssa** - It warms my black little heart that I'm not the only one who was disappointed about Defiance's end and that you want to hear my thoughts on the matter. (dances happily) Someone cares! Yay! (trips over dog and falls) I am not cut out for dancing. Anyway, I agree with you on your comment "What is Kain supposed to do now?" I wondered that too, while I was bawling my big, brown and gold-ringed eyes out over Raziel and Janos. Thanx for the review!


	3. Slaughter

Disclaimer : This tale is still for Kohaku, even though her religion won't let her read it anymore. heavy sigh And to top the sundae, I still have yet to gain possession of LOK and its people.

**Cold Fire Phantoms**

By Semdai Bloodquill

**Chapter Three : Slaughter **

If the two brothers were at all worried about the storm, Kain could not tell. Zangai, since he lived in the swamp, led the trio to a ruined terrace that would offer them adequate shelter from the heavy rain. Athillo the Unsurprized had nothing to say with the exception of asking Kain if he minded stopping until the storm let up.

Kain had replied with his typical response. He didn't care.

And thus did the trio find themselves sitting quietly around a small fire, which they didn't need but it gave them something do, each amusing himself in his own way. Athillo entertained himself by making the flames flicker and dance as he pleased with his mind. Kain found this to be a curious pass-time and spent the time trying to learn how Athillo could do such a thing. Zangai busied himself by taking a long stick and poking it into the fire every so often, making the wood pop. Kain was unsure if Zangai was trying to distract them for the fun of it or if the gray-eyed boy was simply very bored.

Either way, conversation was minimal. Until their sharp ears heard the sound of footfalls approaching. Athillo and Zangai turned their heads toward the sound and listened intently for several seconds.

" A pair of humans," Athillo reported.

" Likely lost judging by the pattern of their steps," Zangai added. The brothers grinned impishly at each other. They closed their eyes and chanted softly together.

" Play along," Athillo instructed Kain a moment later, " this will be fun."

A moment later two vampire hunters, a man and a woman, stumbled into their camp. Weary looking, wet, and covered in swamp slime, the couple stopped at the edge of the overhang respectfully.

" Good sirs," the woman beseeched of the vampires, " would you mind sharing your fire with us?"

" Not at all," Athillo said cheerily, " come sit and warm yourselves."

" It's the least we can do for those that work so hard to keep our lands safe from the vampire scourge," Zangai added with equal liveliness. Kain was confused for a moment before he realized what was happening.

Athillo and Zangai had worked some sort of spell that made the three of them look like normal humans. Kain found himself silently congratulating the cunning brothers.

" Thank you," the man said with relief, " my name is Andre and this is Sandra." He patted his companion's shoulder as he introduced them.

" Athillo's my name," the red-eyed vampire introduced, " and this is my brother, Zangai."

" What's your name, Sir," Sandra asked Kain, " I haven't heard you speak yet."

" Kain," the old vampire said softly.

" I am pleased to meet you, Sir Kain," Sandra responded.

" Pray tell us," Athillo started.

" Have you any food you can spare," Zangai finished. Andre shook his head.

" I'm afraid we don't, my lords," he replied, regret clear in his voice. Zangai and Athillo exchanged sly looks.

" If it's not too bold to say so, you have the strangest eyes I've ever seen, milord Athillo," Sandra remarked, " they almost look red."

" They are red," Athillo corrected, " dark scarlet to be exact."

" I've never met a man with red eyes before," Sandra added.

" I'm rather famished, Athillo," Zangai complained casually, " that drink I had earlier was not nearly enough to quell my hunger."

" I'm sorry we can't offer you anything to eat in return for the shelter you've given us," Andre lamented.

" Oh, I think you have a lot to offer us in return," Athillo countered slyly, scooting closer to Andre, " I'm sure of it."

" Yes, indeed," Zangai agreed, sliding to the other side of Andre.

" Pardon my rudeness, milords, but you're making me feel a bit uncomfortable," Andre whimpered.

" What a shame," Athillo lamented evilly.

" I hate it when we make our victims uncomfortable," Zangai added.

" Victims," Andre gulped, reaching for his sword.

" What are you saying," Sandra joined, standing and taking hold of her pike.

" Think nothing of it, my dear," Kain assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders from behind, " it will only hurt a little." Before Sandra could turn and strike, Kain had knocked her feet out from under her and was holding her delicate chin up, exposing her throat.

She screamed as he bit her, but it was short lived. Her blood filled his mouth with it's hot, metallic taste. He swallowed it gleefully and filled his mouth again. She fought him only at first, the initial shock combined with the loss of her lifeblood quickly defeated her. He let her fall when he was satisfied.

Andre's sudden cry shook Kain out of his daze. The brothers had the man pinned down, struggling and kicking, trying to free himself. Zangai reared his head up in an inhuman howl, his fangs clearly visible and his ash colored eyes darkening. Andre stopped his fighting for a brief few seconds, before Zangai's razor-sharp fangs buried themselves in his throat. Andre's next cry was little more than a bloody gurgle, as the gray eyed vampire drained him. Athillo flexed his fingers menacingly before digging his claws into his victim's belly. Andre gurgled again as Athillo dug out his innards one by one and devoured them viscously.

Kain's belly clenched at the sight of the feasting brothers. Athillo's hands and face dripped with Andre's blood, as did Zangai's fangs. The pair threw their heads back in unison and began to sing in their rich, tenor voices something in a language Kain did not understand. It was slowly paced, and the brothers' shoulders swayed to and fro with each beat of the song.

_Precious fires of obsidian,_

_Come hither to my call,_

_Oh, ebony flames of Hell,_

_Upon mine enemies fall,_

_Scorch black their bones,_

'_til naught but ash remains,_

_Burn away the flesh,_

_And erase the body's pains,_

_Such elegance lies in darkness,_

_Such strange and puzzling beauty,_

_Now arise, Obsidian Flames,_

_And show to me your purity._

Kain found himself almost seduced by the hypnotic voices of the brothers. The melody was mysterious, enchanting even, bordering on frightening for the old vampire. Kain shook himself, chills rushing through his body and goosebumps rising on his skin.

" Don't worry, Lord Kain," Zangai said softly. Kain jumped at the lilting sound of the ash-eyed vampire's voice.

" If you stay on your toes around us, you won't fall under our spells," Athillo added.

" We should continue," Zangai pointed out, " the storm is lifting." Sure enough, the tempest was almost over save for a light drizzle where there were open pockets in the swamp's thick canopy.

Athillo and Kain walked to the edge of the overhang, testing the rain. Zangai, however, did not move from his place beside the corpse of Andre. Athillo turned his scarlet stare back to his brother.

" Why do you linger," he questioned. Zangai didn't seem to hear him. His gray eyes were glazed and staring out into the gloom of the swamp, seeing and yet unseeing all at once.

" Mother is here," Zangai said so softly that even Kain had a hard time hearing him. Athillo's ears twitched as he turned his gaze back toward the mire, the hair on his nape prickled and started to itch. He jumped on top of the overhang and retreated into the shadows. Zangai crept out and slipped silently into the water, disappearing beneath its murky surface. Kain drew out the Soul Reaver and held it at arm's length before him.

The sentient sword hummed in his grasp and pulsed as something alive and breathing might.

" What do you feel," Kain hissed under his breath. The blade seemed to twitch in his hands. Kain followed the sword's instincts and swung in to his left...and nearly dropped the blade in shock.

" You come to me at last then, Scion of Balance," Luciel stated, her voice was low, gentle, and sad. Her vibrant, green eyes drooped with the weight of untold centuries and her pale-blue skin seemed to hang off her bones. She was drenched from the storm and seemed all the more beleaguered by it. Her great, feathered wings, though folded against her back, also seemed weighted down by the water. The tip of the Soul Reaver quivered and pointed itself at the ancient vampiress's heart.

" Who are you," Kain demanded, more than a little perturbed by Luciel's sudden appearance. The sword surged eagerly though, as if excited by the ancient vampiress. Swirls of blue and white light encircled the blade, hungrily spinning in anticipation.

Luciel reached out her hand and touched the tip of the Soul Reaver. Immediately, the blade calmed and a whisp of the swirling energy entwined around Luciel's hand.

" My brother's sword is troubled," the ancient sighed, " so Raziel has entered the sword after all." Kain had no reply. The old vampiress turned her gaze to him, holding his yellow eyes with her green ones. " I am Luciel," she introduced herself, " come to my keep. We will have more time to speak there, Scion of Balance."

She leapt back and unfurled her wings. In the blink of Kain's eye, she was gone. The Soul Reaver quieted.

Athillo and Zangai crept from thier hiding places like wary cats.

But Kain and his Soul Reaver were silent.

**To be continued...**

AN : I deeply apologize for taking so very long to update...school will be the death of me yet. But now that the play is over and I don't need to to stay after school until 10:00, I hope to have the next few chapters up faster. Please bear with me since I'm planning, writing, and editting this story as I go.

And to my totally awesome reviewers:

**To Varyssa** - Have no fear. Raziel will not disappear anytime soon. Very much of what I have planned for the later chapters is all about him. And, just so you know, it was never my intenton to discontinue the story from lack of reviews. I was just trying to get more feedback. sigh...

**To Smoke** - Sorry for not responding top your other review. I recieved it the day the second chapter went up. I apologize for making you sad over Raziel's being lucid. Lucid is such an awesome word. You kind of lost me with 'the Lieutenant stories' as I am unsure of what you mean. I hope you like my OC's though.

**To Antwan** - Glad to hear more people were pissed about the end of Defiance. And much thanks for the suggestions. I feed off such feedback... heh heh... feed of feedback (giggles) I made a funny. Anywhose, many thanks.

Thank you all readers and reviewers, I love you... this would be meaningless without you.


	4. Sorrow

Disclaimer : So sorry for the long wait. I beg your forgiveness. (prostrates self) So much to do. Computer crashing so much. Stress with faulty floppy disks. Oh the things a 17-year-old writer contends with! (shakes fist in frustration) All this crap and Eidos still wont sell LOK to me. I mean 5 bucks isn't much but they could do better with their rejections. Attack dogs are sooo late 60's. (waves hand dismissively)

**Cold Fire Phantoms**

By Semdai Bloodquill

**Chapter Four : Sorrow**

_Twisting in the dark. Lost in the grip of oblivion. Losing hope for...what? Want all this to end. Dark. Dark and cold. Dark and cold and endless hungering._

_Some thing close. ...touches me. Draws me up into... I feel I know...or should and can't remember. Falling down. The hungering again. Touch me again. Pick me up again. Swirling to no end. Why is there no end? There must be an end. Where..._

_...feel blood. It's warm. Reminds me of... Can't remember the taste of blood. Too long ago. Smells like you. The old you. Sad. Sad. Missing something... Blood... makes me remember... I want to remember... I miss... reminds me of you..._

_Where are you?_

_It's dark. So very, very dark. And cold. So lonely. Hunger and suffering. Make it stop... Please...make it all end..._

_I don't want to suffer anymore..._

Kain slowly opened his eyes, aware of the heavy scent of blood that hung in the air like a rotting stench. He lay of his side, the Reaver clutched tightly in his bleeding hands. Kain sat up, somehow unable to release the sentient sword from his bloodied hands. Athillo and Zangai were nowhere to be seen. Even their scents were gone, it was as if the pair had never been.

The blade jerked in Kain's hands, cutting deeper into his palms. The sword screamed in his head, its melancholy voice like a dirge in his ears. Haunting. Crying. Rendering. Sundering. The blade flared to life all of a sudden. Its icy flames shivering up Kain's arms, stinging like cold bees.

_I don't want to suffer anymore!_

" My god!" Kain gasped at the pain in his arms. Feeling left his flesh until there was only burning, icy nothing. The sensation grew stronger and spread upward. " Raziel! What are you doing?" Kain struggled to form the worms. He felt as he had while under the tyranny of Moebius's staff, only a thousand times worse. " Stop, Raziel!" If his heart had still been within his body, Kain was positive it would have frozen over. " Raziel! Please! RAZIEL!"

_Kain!_

Something psionic threw him back. Kain just lay still for several seconds, catching his breath and collecting his wits. The sword went flying from his hands. It twirled end over end in the air for several turns before falling back to the ground. It landed perfectly vertical in the mud, hilt up, skull crosspiece blazing, icy flames receding like the ebbing ocean tide.

Kain just stared at the sentient weapon, suddenly afraid of the deranged soul of his oldest son.

" Raziel," Kain slowly reached for the hilt of the sword.

A clawed hand reached from behind and stopped Kain from taking up the sword. Kain looked up to see a pair of dark, forest-green eyes looking back at him. The owner of the eyes wore his long, dark red hair in a loose ponytail that draped over his shoulder. A gray tabard covered the lower half of his lean face and hung down the length of his back.

" Don't touch it," the green-eyed vampire warned, for he was indeed an undead, " the sword will drain you if you are not wary."

" Who are you," Kain demanded, jerking his arm back away from the newcomer.

" My apologies, my Lord," said the vampire, " My name is Terwaz." The red-haired undead backed respectfully away from Kain and bowed.

" You are late, Terwaz," Athillo chided from his perch in a towering cypress tree.

" When did you get here," Kain exclaimed. How had Athillo sneaked past him so silently? How had he covered his scent so effectively?

" I never left," Athillo replied calmly, " Zangai did, though he's been back for a while now." That made no sense to Kain. What were these creatures claiming to be vampires who had an Ancient as their mother?

" I see," said Kain, trying to keep his dignity.

" What kept you," Athillo asked of his elder brother, " I expected you several hours ago."

" Ran into some opposition."

" Hunters?"

" A fair few." If Terwaz was bothered at all by Moebius's mercenary hunters, he showed no sign of it. " Enlil is beside himself with excitement, almost followed me here. Absolutely batty about meeting the great Lord Kain."

" Why didn't he come?" Athillo seemed puzzled over the news of his second brother.

" Mother has him and Rancor out on patrol," Terwaz explained.

" Am I correct in assuming we are close to your home," Kain interjected, looking up at Athillo as he spoke.

" Very," was Athillo's answer.

" Just beyond that cliff," Terwaz added, pointing the way. Kain followed the course with his eyes. They had arrived at the northernmost reaches of the swamp, beyond those dismal crags was the mountain village of Uschtenheim. Beyond the dreary human settlement lay the great canyons that had once served as the home of Janos Audron.

" We should hurry on," Zangai called from his perch atop the cliff Terwaz has indicated, " Mother will be anxious for our return." Kain wondered to himself if he should be surprised at this point.

The climb into the canyons was not difficult. The four vampires, with their great gripping talons, had no trouble finding hand-holds in the crags.

Uschtenheim itself lay deserted and decayed, a wretched remnant of better times. Kain had to wonder what could have so effectively destroyed the isolated town.

" It's about time you showed up," huffed an indignant figure who appeared to be standing guard from his place on a surviving parapet, " we expected you sooner." The guard was a powerful- looking vampire with angry, yellow eyes and ebony colored hair. His clothes reminded Kain of the garb he and his sons had worn during their reign.

" Since when does the continuum of history answer to the will of Rancor," a second vampire guard on the adjacent parapet interjected, " you are indeed most imperial, Brother." The second vampire was well built as well, a little taller than his companion, but not quite as tall as Athillo or Terwaz. His hair was the same inky black but his large eyes were a striking indigo blue. Kain assumed that these must be the eldest brothers, Rancor and Enlil.

" I? Imperial?" Rancor snorted in distaste. " I was merely stating a fact."

" And now you are the great historian of Nosgoth," Enlil grinned, then turned his attention to the new arrivals. " Never mind him. He's so full of himself you'd think he was the Elder God."

" I take it you all are brothers," Kain ventured.

" That's correct," Enlil confirmed. The blue-eyed brother leaned casually on the edge of the parapet. " And you must be the legendary Lord Kain."

" How is it that the five of you know me, yet I have never met you," Kain asked.

" A fine question indeed, my Lord," Enlil replied, " at this point in history the Pillars have only just fallen. Your younger self has yet to raise his legions and dominate Nosgoth. The answer is fairly simple actually."

" Like you Lord Kain, we are also wanderers through time and history," Athillo added, " we have traversed through the entire skein of our world's history. We are the ghosts who have no time or purpose. We belong everywhere and nowhere. We are phantoms in a cold fire."

" Time is but a loop," Zangai joined, " and we, loose stitches in a universal cloth. Where a streamer might seize upon a chance, a fatal slip, and thus plunge the fate of planets into chaos."

" Moebius used to say that," Kain stated suspiciously.

" Where do you suppose he learned it," Athillo pointed out.

" You fall astray with your explanations, my sons," Luciel said softly from the shadows. All eyes turned to the ancient vampiress as she melted from the gloom of the ruined city. Her great, sad eyes fixed on Kain. " You cannot begin anywhere except the beginning." She bowed deeply to Kain. " I have been waiting a long time for you, Scion of Balance. At long last, we finally meet."

_To be continued..._

AN : Oh it's a good day for the writer. I finally beat SR1 yesterday. Pathetic thing is SR1 was the first LOK game I started playing about 2 years ago. I never beat BO2 or even played BO1. Very pathetic.

I'd also like to input a sort of special feature about the five brothers now that all of them have been introduced. Each of them is unique in his own way and their names were meant to show this. To help illustrate, here are the meanings of each brother's name.

(In order of their ages from oldest to youngest) Rancor : Latin word for 'Resentment.' Enlil : the Hindu Lord of the Earth. Terwaz : from the Norse rune for 'Warrior.' Athillo : from Shakespeare's _Othello, the Moor of Venice_. Zangai : the Japanese word for 'Ruin'

Hopefully this tidbit will help the readers understand a little more about each brother's personality. Some are obvious, like Rancor

And speaking of readers...

**To Smoke** - Thank you for the explanation. I am enriched by your wisdom and honored by your dedication to reviewing every chapter. Thank you! (sobs in happiness) As for Luciel, well... more will be said on her in future chapters.

**To Healer Ariel** - (for chapters 1 and 3) Zangai and Athillo do have rather atrocious table manners. (giggles) No worries my dear, (hero stance) for I have taken it upon myself to ensure that a truly plausible and happy ending is accomplished for this tale! HAHAHA! (gets hit by flying, kamikaze watermelon)

**To An Unidentified Entity** - What an interesting name... I am honored to have refreshed you and caught your attention and stimulated your curiosity. Thank you for your support.

**To Varyssa** - Ah... dear Varyssa, like Smoke, never fails to review a chapter. You deserve an author who doesn't make you wait so long for new chapters. (prostrates self) Please forgive me! So glad you like Raziel in the Reaver situation.

**To Gold Seraph** - That's such a pretty name and your beautiful, long review was very uplifting. Defiance did have a very well-done ending, no matter how pissed the Raziel fans were to see him go. You don't have to worry about a cheesy ending, I strive to make my fanfiction as true to the originals as I can otherwise I'm not satisfied with it. Thanks also for the advise, I've been really sick for the past week and it just proves what you said. Many thanks.


	5. Abomination

Disclaimer : I deserve to be beat with a stick for my failure to keep up new chapters. I know I shouldn't make excuses because it won't make things better. I think I'm trying to do too much. Currently I'm writing two serious books, two serious fanfictions, two mini-series, and one comedy. I should cut back. Who am I kidding, I can't cut back, I'd be letting everyone down even more. (sobs in defeat) I can't win and I can't buy LOK! Waaaa!

**Cold Fire Phantoms**

By Semdai Bloodquill

**Chapter Five : Abomination**

" I was banished," Luciel said nonchalantly. The old vampiress reached up and undid her long, gray-streaked black hair as she spoke. " I was never one for clerical beliefs, least of all those of a giant squid." Kain snickered at her remark. " Of course, it wasn't until just recently that I learned what it was my kin were worshipping. Still, the words of the Oracle, as he called himself then, didn't sit well with me."

" Is that the only reason you were banished? As a heretic?" Kain asked, putting down the fine glass goblet Luciel had provided him with, though not for any distaste for the fine vintage it contained.

The ancient vampiress made her home in the central temple of Uschtenheim. Kain couldn't help but snicker at the irony of her choice of residence. A vampire heretic living in an abandoned Sarafan temple.

" And because I'm something of a paradox," Luciel continued. " I was born dead. No pulse. No breath. Nothing. My twin brother was perfectly fine and healthy, but there was no life in me. One of the theories presented later was that I had been dead a day or two at the most, but it doesn't matter. I was still dead."

" Yet you stand and speak before me now," Kain interjected.

" No one has been able to explain what happened," Luciel offered. " I've been told that a fierce storm was raging when my brother and I were born, and at the climax of that storm when the thunder was loudest, I started screaming."

" That must have been amazing to see," Kain remarked.

" 'Hand of God himself,'" Luciel sneered distastefully.

" So first you were a divine rescue and then a heretic?" Kain furrowed his eyebrows.

" I am able to see things that no one else could see. Perhaps it was my time in the spectral world. Maybe I always had it. I don't know," Luciel shook her hair out.

Kain was surprised. Luciel must have been thousands of years old, but there wasn't as much gray in her ebony curls as he had thought. Her hair was thick and wavy from being braided for so long. He almost found her strangely attractive.

" Raziel said something to me before the sword consumed him," Kain remembered. " Something about the true purpose of the Soul Reaver."

Luciel had made her way to one of the shattered windows and was gazing down on the ruined city. " The sword was forged for the vampires' savior. For you it seems. But while only you can wield the sword," here she turned and faced Kain straight on, " only with your son can you see the true enemy."

_And now you will see the true enemy..._

" That's what Raziel said just before..." Kain didn't feel the need or desire to finish his sentence. In either case, there would not have been time. Terwaz came charging into the room, panting and out of breath.

" We're under attack!" He had to pause to catch his breath. " A whole score of strange demons are headed this way!"

" Hylden?" Kain asked.

" If they are, their like none I have ever seen," Terwaz replied.

" Gather your brothers," Luciel instructed. Her long talons dug grooves in the stone window sill. " And arm yourselves. If the Hylden have grown so mad that they do not recognize us then we shall be prepared."

" Yes, Mother." Terwaz bowed and ran out.

" What do you mean 'recognize you,'" Kain inquired suspiciously.

Luciel did not answer right away. " I have not the time to tell you. In any case, you will see very soon why they call me a heretic." Luciel left the window and walked to the far wall, on which was mounted a handsome collection of armor and weapons. She donned a pair of supple leather bracers that reached to her elbows and a thick leather sword belt with a matching pair of silver shamshirs.

Luciel also removed from the wall an amulet made of what looked like polished obsidian. She stared at it longingly for a moment before slipping it over her head. " Follow me if you wish." She offered Kain, striding swiftly out the same way Terwaz had gone.

Kain followed her.

Outside, the five brothers were locked in a defiant staring war with a monstrous creature that easily towered over them. Kain only vaguely recognized the monster for the Hylden that it was. It had a long face with evil, red eyes and a pair of wicked horns protruding from the back of its skull. It's inky black skin was cracked and wrinkled around prominent bones and curving claws. Behind him (Kain guessed it was male) a score of demons prowled impatiently waiting to strike. Kain recognized them as the same type of demons he had fought with during his short stay in limbo.

" Tartrezar," Luciel greeted in a sarcastic tone, sauntering right up to the monster staring down her sons. " To what do I owe this unexpected honor?"

" 'Unexpected' if the sun rises in the west," Tartrezar growled. Kain knew his voice instantly, low in volume but mellow of timbre and hinted by a faint hissing.

'_You will go mad and you will not know it.'_

" You know perfectly well why I have come, vampiress," Tartrezar continued.

" Do I?" Luciel retained her calm as she spoke with the Hylden. " You and the others have been in limbo for untold millennia. Anything can change in such a spans of time, even the deepest of friendships."

" We have not changed our loyalties to our Lord nor have we failed to notice that you did not kill yourself with the rest of your breed," Tartrezar cast a loathing glare at Kain. " The company you keep has not escaped our knowledge either."

" Should I take that to mean that you still want me on your side?" Luciel grinned ever so slyly at Kain.

Tartrezar turned his viscous glare back Luciel. " As far as I am concerned, you have always been an enemy. We might take some pity on your sons, but you I will never see as an ally." The venom in his voice was chilling to all but Luciel herself.

" Crawl back to your master, Tartrezar, and tell him that if he still wants me, I will speak to him and not his impudent, belly-dragging second-in-command," Luciel sneered.

Tartrezar snarled and lunged at Luciel. But before he could get close enough to strike, Rancor leapt forward, his sword drawn, and struck Tartrezar viscously between his horns with the hilt of the blade. The demon staggered under the weight of the blow and was forced down. Enlil also attacked and managed a solid strike with his own sword. Tartrezar was saved, more or less, by his thick armor but Enlil blow still broke his forearm when he used the appendage to block. Shrieking in rage, he turned and vanished in a puff of foul smelling smoke along with his minions.

Rancor and Enlil choked and backed away from the spot. Rancor kept his free hand over his mouth to shield from the smoke. " I always hated him, Mother," the eldest brother stated. " If he dares to show his face here again, I swear I'll kill him without a second thought." Enlil was too busy coughing to say anything.

Kain simply stared hard at Luciel.

The ancient vampiress heaved a heavy sigh. " I can only try to imagine how this must look to you, Kain," she began. " I know I can't ask for your trust anymore than I can beg your indulgence for a while longer."

" Tell me what you are and we'll see where I stand," Kain said firmly.

" What we are, why I'm a heretic, and why I'm still alive. They all have the same answer," Luciel started.

" Obviously you have some relationship with the Hylden Lord," Kain pointed out harshly.

" You could say that," Luciel admitted reluctantly. " The ancient war wasn't fought over just religious differences."

" You were on good terms with the so-called enemy," Kain speculated.

" At least with most of them. Tartrezar never trusted me, even before he went mad and became a monster. No, the other vampires couldn't stand the idea of their precious 'holy child' fraternizing with their rivals."

" It wasn't just any Holy War?" In a way, Kain supposed he already knew the answer to his own question.

" The worst kind of Holy War. When two races are fighting over the same prophet."

" And your sons?" Kain turned his stare at them. Rancor and Enlil met his gaze impassively. Terwaz and Athillo would not look at him directly but they kept their heads up. Zangai's eyes were completely on the ground. After a moment of silence the youngest brother stepped forward.

Without a word, Zangai undid the clasp that held his cloak in place and discarded the black, leather vest that covered his torso. Naked from the waist up, Zangai went down on one knee before Kain and bowed his head.

Kain couldn't help but notice the parallel scars that ran down the length of Zangai's back, from his shoulders to his waist. The marks from the arrows had long since healed and faded but the two lines were plainly visible.

The white skin of the young vampire's back rippled and split suddenly. Wings sprouted out of Zangai's back. One was of black feathers like his mother's, and the other of dark, leathery skin, the like of which Kain had seen on the Hylden, but longer and more elegant.

Kain took a step back out of shock. For a moment his calm faltered and he saw not Zangai kneeling before him, but Raziel with his lieutenant garb and pale, spotted wings. The fault was momentary; though, and it passed as suddenly as it had come. Once again it was Zangai kneeling before him, wings out-stretched, awaiting judgment. No one spoke.

Kain took a moment of silence to think. He had some of his answers. But for all the good they did him, he might as well have never followed Athillo out of the citadel.

" I wish to stay with you a while longer," Kain said suddenly. He didn't know why or what made him say it, but he could not deny that it was true. He did wish to learn more about Luciel and her sons...and perhaps about himself as well. He reached out and touched each of Zangai's wings gently. In another moment of nostalgia, he tried to remember what Raziel's wings had felt like.

" I have no judgment to pass on you, Zangai," Kain said decisively. Zangai met his gaze with a wry smile. Once again, he pulled his wings into his back. He winced slightly, as if the act hurt him, but he bore it silently. Zangai's flesh closed again, leaving only a pair of scars where his wings had been.

Luciel was obviously as surprised as Kain by his request, but she smiled gratefully nonetheless. " I am glad then," she said. Zangai stood and retreated to Athillo's side.

" I have one requirement though," Kain added. He unsheathed the Soul Reaver the held it out, hilt in one hand, tip in the other. " What can you do for Raziel? I tried my hardest to prevent him from entering the sword, but in the end I could not stop it."

" We are far from the end, Kain," Luciel said softly. She touched the sword and instantly a tendril of white fire rushed up her arm. She closed her eyes for a moment, but when they opened again they were not Luciel's eyes but Raziel's.

" _You and I are not finished with Fate just yet_."

Luciel released the sword, blinked her eyes, and was herself again apparently no worse for the wear. " I think we have yet to see what can be done for your son," she said reassuringly.

To be Continued...

Author's notes : Well, there you have it. The secret is out. Kain can't stop thinking about Raziel. He must be going gay. (gets hit by an inflatable Soul Reaver sword) Oh C'mon! (shouting at the nothingness that threw the sword) You were thinking it too! Well maybe not... but it was still funny!

All joking aside, now you know what Luciel's sons are...or do you? I suppose it' cruel to always beat around the bush like this, but I'm afraid that if I out and just say it 1) you guys will think it's cheesy and leave or 2) you'll take the information and leave. I should look and find out what the scientific name for 'fear-of-your-readers-leaving-phobia' is.

For those of you wondering, Luciel's name when you break down the Latin means 'wings of the dawn' or 'wings of light.' Tartrezar's name is a little more complex. I play DnD (Dungeons and Dragons) and read Forgotten Realms and one of the lower planes is called Tarterus. It's a nasty, icky, limbo-like world full of nasty, icky monsters. I beleive it's featured briefly in The Halfling's Gem by R. A. Salvatore. Tartrezar's name comes from that.

And now to my awesome readers.

**To Smoke** - To answer your inquiry about the discrepancies in chapter four, yes there were discrepancies. The second one somehow eluded me when I was editing. I had previously fixed the first one but when my computer crashed and I very nearly lost that chapter it failed to recover that part of the editing and it wasn't until you pointed it out that I noticed it. If you go back and look at it now, you will find that I have fixed it up all nice and beautiful just for you.

**To Varyssa** - I am glad you like my response and I'm glad you approve of Raziel's situation. Sorry about him turning on Kain at the beginning of chapter four, but I can't allow myself to play favorites with the characters. (gets hit with shoe) Oh all right, so I DO play a little favoritism with Athillo and Zangai but that's because I love them! They are some of my most adorable creations ever and I love them. Oh fine I do play favorites. Please forgive me!

**To Healer Ariel** - You are very welcome for the name meanings. I will continue to provide them for you in the future as well. I think it adds a little more depth to the story when the characters have meaningful names and the readers can relate to them.


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